Damascene processing techniques are used in many modern integrated circuit manufacturing schemes because these techniques require fewer processing steps and generally offer higher yields than other methods. Damascene processing involves forming metal conductors on integrated circuits by depositing corresponding inlaid metal lines in trenches and vias in a dielectric layer. As part of Damascene processing, a layer of photoresist is deposited on a dielectric layer. The photoresist is a light-sensitive organic polymer, which can be “spun on” in a liquid form and dried to form a solid film. The photoresist is then patterned by passing light through a mask. This operation may be followed by plasma etching of the patterned photoresist (e.g., exposed portions of the dielectric layer) to form vias and trenches in the dielectric layer. The photoresist is then stripped, and any etch-related residues are removed before subsequent processing. Generally, photoresist stripping employs plasma formed from one or more processes gases, which may include oxygen or other oxidizing reagents. The highly reactive plasma etches the organic photoresist to form volatile components, which are evacuated from the processing chamber. Substrate temperature should be precisely control during this stripping process (for example, to avoid undesirable variations in etch rates).